In Pictures: Update from the city end of the Trams to Newhaven project

Whilst a lot of our attention recently in Edinburgh has been taken by the closure of the York Place tramstop there has been no let-up in construction works on the full extension to Newhaven. In this update we head out onto the new line – due to open in 2023 – to see some of that recent progress at the city centre end of the line. We’ll have another update soon further along the line.

As we have seen, the Trams to Newhaven extension will carry on from where York Place stop was situated before heading through Picardy Place and then onto Leith Walk. The first two stops on the line will be provided at Picardy Place (a replacement for York Place and giving good access to places such as the St James Quarter) and then at McDonald Road before continuing along Leith Walk and then onto Newhaven with a further six stops being built.

In the last construction map released (December 2021 which can be viewwed at  https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/tramstonewhaven/downloads/file/535/progress-route-map-december-2021-pdf-) there were just three sections of the complete route where no work had taken place: York Place, around Queen Charlotte Street close to The Shore tramstop and then on Melrose Drive at the far end of the line. Of these we have now seen work starting at York Place and Melrose Drive will also join in from Monday 14th February.

The work on Melrose Drive is due to be completed by Autumn 2022 and pedestrian access is due to be retained throughout the work although access may change as the project progresses; bus stops will be relocated to the west of Ocean Terminal. This is alongside work continuing on Ocean Drive (the east side of Ocean Terminal) which are due to carry on until the Summer.

Although the project has had to reassess the original plans it remains on target for a 2023 opening and is within the revised budget.

We start off this quick look at the old York Place stop. In this shot we are looking southwest to the tram platform from outside the church opposite. The overhead has been removed, the tram stop signs gone and the passenger information displays gone. The shelter does remain here though.

Looking in the opposite direction towards St Paul’s and St George’s Church and the Broughton Street junction. The road surface in the foreground has been removed and the bus in the distance is roughly where the Picardy Place stop will be situated.

A closer view of the platform. Here we can see that there is already a hole in the platform from where work has started. (Photographs x3 by Roy Calderwood, 12th February 2022)

Work in Picardy Place first got underway in August 2021 and since then has seen lots of work taking place with utility diversions and now preparation works for tracklaying. In this first view of the works we are looking eastwards towards the top of Leith Walk. York Place is off to the left and the pole in the centre of picture supported the end of the overhead line. A single island platform will be built here.

Here we look west towards York Place with John Lewis store on Leith Street on the left and to its right, part of the new St. James Quarter. In the middle is St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral and St Paul’s and St George’s Church is on the right. A single traffic lane (usually very slow moving on weekdays) is squeezed in front of Tesco carrying traffic from York Place to Leith Walk and London Road. The buildings here date from first decade of the nineteenth century but most have been heavily altered. (Photographs x2 by Roy Calderwood, 6th February 2022)

Another look at the worksite in Picardy Place with some of the concrete track base already in situ. We see a lone traction pole which supports the overhead contact wire from the tramstop in York Place. (Photograph by John Hampton, 8th February 2022)

Mid-February and the first rails are now in Picardy Place, albeit not yet fixed down. The former York Place stop was to the left hand side over the Broughton Street junction. (Photograph by Roy Calderwood, 14th February 2022)

As with all the stops on the extension the stop at McDonald Road will consist of an island platform. In this view we see the tramstop under construction with a view looking towards the city centre. There seem to be no fewer than seven buses seen trying to make their way into the city. (Photograph by blackpool_trams, 4th February 2022)

Another look at McDonald Road tramstop. The southbound traffic is now running on the west carriageway (i.e. wrong side) where road and pavement work is complete and attention has now shifted to completing the road and footpath on the east side of the tramstop. (Photograph by John Hampton, 8th February 2022)

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